And the Light Shines Through
by CopperInk
Summary: Jack is still struggling with his newly gained memories that threaten to overpower him and someone messing with spirits' minds isn't doing much to help. To top it all, Jack learns that his connection with the Wind doesn't come as naturally as one could hope. And he is still supposed to take care of his duties as Pitch's guard. Oh the joy... Sequel to Silver Light for Blind Eyes.
1. Frost and Sand

Hi! I'm back with the sequel I promised. For the old readers... Thank you for your patience, please enjoy!  
>For the new readers... This is a sequel to my other story: <em>Silver Light for Blind Eyes<em>, which you'll find from my profile if you want to read it first, which I personally recommend. In case you don't want to though, I'll put a small summary with the necessary info at the end of this chapter.

**Warnings (for the whole story): **swearing, blood(/slight violence?) and OCs (though I am trying to tune it down a bit) who will most likely, probably, maybe not have too big of a role, but knowing me probably will anyway.

Please enjoy!

**Chapter 1** _Frost and Sand_

Breathe in… Breathe out. Jack did his best to keep his breathing even in order to control his anger and frustration. Tried.

"You're doing it again", a voice sounded from little away from him. His frown deepened and he bit back his urge to cuss. The other ignored his attitude and continued.

"How many times do I have to tell you this before you actually start listening? You have to let them in. You can't keep on like this, especially if you really want to learn real control over your powers", Jack opened his eyes to glare at the green glowing figure in front of him. Loki looked back at him calm, but weary looking. Jack felt a small stab of guilt in his chest for causing the other spirit to look like that, but it was pushed aside by another wave of frustration. Loki had no idea what it was like to suddenly just have memories from centuries before he was born. To suddenly feel like he had a second personality living in his mind, occasionally making him wonder if the way he acted in some situation was actually him or the memories pushing through. Of course Jack would try to block them off!

Loki seemed to notice his words weren't making any difference and sighed. Then he turned to glare into the shadows of the trees around them.

"Well? Aren't you going to say anything? You know as well as I do that should he keep this up he's eventually going to break", Loki stated heatedly and the shadows moved. A tall, lean figure formed and stepped halfway into the moonlight. Jack noticed Pitch glancing at Loki before turning to look at him. Jack glared at him as if challenging him. Pitch looked away.

"I thought we agreed on having me stay out of this 'training' you're giving him", Pitch said after a tense moment. Loki huffed, throwing his hands in the air.

"You suck. Both of you. I am so done with you", Loki told them pointing an accusing finger at Pitch and then Jack. Then he stomped off towards the tree line, letting out a loud whistle as he did. Jack watched as a horse with warm golden-brown aura and eight legs trotted to the snow covered clearing and head butted against Loki's chest gently. Loki patted the huge horse before mounting him and throwing one last glare at Jack.

"I'll be back in a week and if you still refuse to let me try and _help _you, I'll be leaving you on your own", Loki half growled at him. Jack simply glared back, biting back yet another cuss he'd prepared for the spirit. Loki and Sleipnir trotted off and soon disappeared into the shadows.

Jack sighed as soon as the bizarre duo were out of sight.

"Do you think I should apologize?" Jack asked Pitch, who was still just standing there, half hidden by the shadows. Pitch shrugged.

"Do I seem like your personal psychologist?" he asked. Jack sighed again.

"Whatever", Jack muttered and got ready to leap into the air. He had just stepped on the wind when he heard Pitch call after him. He turned slightly to show he was listening.

"He is right though", Pitch told him and when Jack just stared at him blankly, he continued: "You have to start letting them in or they're going to drown you." With a growl, Jack turned and fled the clearing.

**-O-**

Of course, Jack couldn't go far. The bind the Moon had made between him and Pitch stayed strong. Jack had learnt he could leave about 15 kilometers between them, until he started to feel the slightly uncomfortable pull back towards Pitch. By twenty kilometers distance Pitch would probably have thrown up and would be curled up into a ball in some dark corner. It seemed the pull was stronger for him. Jack hardly found it fair, but he figured it couldn't be helped. He was supposed to be Pitch's 'guard' after all.

Jack sighed and spun his staff in his hands watching the blue and silver light dance on its frosted surface. Once he blinked, the blue color was gone. He was used to it by now though, the colors sometimes flickered into life before fading again. For the first few times it had happened he'd been ecstatic, but once he realized it was only temporary, he rarely even thought about it. Mostly because it still managed to bring out a strong feeling of disappointment for not earning his vision back like he _should _have when he received Jokul's powers and memories. Jack frowned. He didn't want to think about that. It was the reason he'd left the clearing in the first place. To have some _fun_.

Jack lowered himself on the familiar snow covered rooftop. It was rather late and he knew Jamie would be sleeping, but in the past months, years, he'd found himself drifting here whenever he felt like he could do with some distractions. But even though he visited few times a year, he only really saw and talked with Jamie once or twice. He wasn't stupid after all. As much as he knew that Jamie liked myths and stories and him, he knew he couldn't let Jamie get too attached. Humans messing with myths and magic tended to get obsessed and forget their other life. While Jack was sure Jamie would be content with that, living in the world of spirits and magic for his whole life, inspecting and experimenting, it wasn't what Jack wanted for him. Children were supposed to forget them, they were supposed to move on with their lives, make friends, get a job, do what they want, get married and have children. And even when Jamie would stop believing in them, he could still do what he wanted, research myths and stories. He didn't necessarily have to get stuck in them.

So Jack kept his distance even though he felt the warm flutter in his chest every time he was seen by Jamie or any other child, every time he got to talk and play with them. Jack still had many, many years to do that, but human lives were so limited. In the end, Jack would have to let go as well as Jamie. And it would be easier for both of them to not do it Jamie's death bed.

**-O-**

It had been an hour, or maybe two, when Jack finally lifted himself from his comfortable position lying on the rooftop. It was a quiet night as usual. He stretched and checked with his internal clock that he had maybe an hour or two to get back to Pitch before the sun would rise and he'd lose his vision again. He only hesitated for a moment before willing the wind to lift him up.

He'd only managed to float away from Jamie's rooftop though, when a sudden heat wave made him stumble. How it was even possible to stumble while flying, he had no idea, but he did. He straightened and looked around warily. Had it been day time, he would've passed it as someone opening a garage door or a big car passing by, but he had not heard a sound this time. The heat also felt different, dry. As if it had come straight from a desert.

Nothing was out of ordinary, Jack concluded as he let his eyes travel over the scenery. The streets were empty and dark, the snow reflecting some light from the full moon. Jack was about to dismiss the experience as his imagination, when he could feel the air get warmer. He looked down where the heat seemed to be radiating from. There was nothing there. Then a slight glow of yellowish orange caught his eye and he turned to see snow melting in alley just behind him. Softly, Jack let the wind lower him to the ground, ignoring its frantic whispering. The glow was getting closer and suddenly Jack realized it was coming from the ground. The pavement was glowing. Jack blinked.

No, not the pavement, the pavement was turning into… sand? Jack stepped closer to the strange phenomena just to stumble back immediately. The sand was radiating warmth. Dry, hot desert air replaced the bitter cold and Jack gasped as he breathed in. It had been ages since Jack had breathed in such hot and dry air and it made his throat feel weird. Unpleasantly so.

With a huff, Jack struck his staff on the ground, creating a small whirlwind of cold air and snow. The trickle of sand stopped and retreated a bit, before settling. Jack frowned at it. Just when he was about to repeat the action, a voice spoke out.

"How rude", Jack looked up at the source of the voice. It was a woman. Maybe in her late twenties, perhaps a bit younger. She had raven hair just reaching her shoulders, cut in straight lines. She was wearing a short skirt and a top, while walking barefoot. A burning orange aura surrounded her. Jack could swear he'd seen her somewhere before, but couldn't remember where.

"Me?" Jack blinked, surprised at her words, "I'm the rude one? You realize that sand and snow don't mix well, right? And funnily enough, people usually connect snow with winter, which, by the way, is the season we're currently having." Yes, Jack was more than a bit offended that some sort of summer spirit would try and steal his season, but honestly, he did realize it was a bit of a hypocrite. He couldn't even count all the times he'd decided to have the winter come a bit early or last a little bit longer. But something with this spirit's appearance didn't sit well with him. The wind kept whispering warnings in his ears, setting him on the edge.

"Yes you. Don't you think it would be more polite to offer a greeting before so hastily trying to drive me away?" the woman asked and Jack blinked owlishly at the tone. Was she… pouting? A little flustered Jack opened his mouth to offer an explanation, before closing it, frowning. She had completely just brushed off his words.

"Well? Nothing to say for yourself? Fine then. No need for introduction, I know who you are. You may remember me from one of our… meetings at the North Pole couple of years back. I am Asbit", the woman told him then, the pout vanishing from her tone as well as her face. It was enough to refresh Jack's memory and he recalled a fire spirit sitting by the long table among the many spirits. If he recalled correctly, she had been one of the most distrustful and hostile ones. Unconsciously Jack tightened his grip on his staff. She pretended not to notice the sudden shift in atmosphere and brushed off imaginary bits of dust from her skirt.

"But that is not what I'm here to talk about now is it? No. Actually, I'm not here to talk at all. I am done talking, I have been for two years now. You may have fooled others into believing you can hold on on your own, but I know better. With memories such as his, there is no way someone like you, young and weak hearted, would be able to fend off his cruel tendencies. I know you're just biting your time, but I am not going to just stand by and let it happen!" Asbit was now approaching him with a feral looking snarl on her face and Jack found himself backing away. Her words didn't make sense to him and he was too absorbed in trying to understand what he was being accused of to notice the ground dissolve under him. Suddenly he realized he was standing in sand, which little by little was covering his feet.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked distractedly while trying to back off from the sand. It was no use though, he simply kept sinking. He tried to freeze it with his staff but only managed to make it wet. Little bit panicked, he lifted his eyes to glare at the Egyptian.

"Don't pretend to be so ignorant, you're humiliating yourself. Not that you can go much lower", she told him, lifting her chin arrogantly. Anger boiled inside Jack and for a brief moment he felt himself pulling on the well of power inside him, on the power he'd only gained couple of years ago. But immediately he started feeling the old, cold anger and bitterness creeping into his mind that wasn't his. It wasn't Asbit standing in front of him anymore, it was some other male spirit whose features he couldn't quite make out…

Jack ripped himself from the flashback and the power that had previously been tingling in his fingertips fell back, slipping from his grasp. Now frustrated Jack stuck his staff on the sand, steadily sending out a stream of frost.

"I'm not pretending anything. Just… what have I done this time? Frozen Giza's pyramid?" Jack asked, twisting his face into careless smile out of habit. Finally he could feel something akin to ice start forming under his feet. Asbit glared at him, but didn't answer. Instead her gaze fell to his feet and she smirked. The sand was already reaching his tights.

"I would've thought the great winter spirit to give a bit more of a challenge… I guess you catching all those spirits was a fluke after all", she stated smugly. Jack frowned. He hadn't been the one to catch and freeze those spirits, it was Jokul… Then he realized. Asbit thought he'd lost himself in his memories! Or she could just think Jack actually was the same kind of person… Not that it mattered which idea she was following. The result was the same: Jack being slowly buried in sand.

Feeling the sand creeping under his hoodie, Jack finally let himself a panic a little bit. The ice he'd managed to gather beneath his feet kept melting and reforming and the cold cover over his skin was starting to heat up due to the sand which, Jack could tell, was burning hot. Jack didn't visit beaches in summer for a reason.

With a growl, Jack pulled his staff from the sand to try and help himself climb up, but the staff kept sinking no matter where he set it. He just barely kept himself from screaming in frustration. Why? Why did his magic come out so weak? Why was he so helpless against a pile of sand?

He knew the answer though, even if he didn't like it. He wasn't using his full power. The power he'd sealed with Jokul's memories almost as soon as he'd regained them. And Asbit was a fire spirit, there was no way he could go against someone like that as he was now. It wouldn't stop him from trying though. And he did. All the way until the sand covered his head and his hands could reach nothing but the heat.

**-O-**

When Jack came to, he was sweating. It was the first thing he noticed. The second thing he noticed was that he was lying on a stone floor. Then he came aware of the pressing feeling in his chest that made it hard to breath. There was nothing physically hindering his breathing though so he assumed it was the hot air causing it. That is, until he remembered the hot sand that had been surrounding him, making it impossible to move or _breathe_.

Ice blue eyes snapped open, but when they still couldn't see anything but darkness they closed and Jack focused on drawing in a deep breath. A buzzing sound that he had long since associated with the distance between him and Pitch exploded in his ears, which meant he had to be pretty far away from the older spirit. Worry flooded his mind as he made that conclusion. The distance would not feel as a gentle buzzing to Pitch.

He didn't have the time to dwell on it though, because that was when he realized he didn't have his staff. A wave of panic hit him, but he did his best to suffocate it. _Relax, _he told himself, _deep breaths. _He had proved to himself time and time again that he wasn't helpless even without his staff. _But what about when you're alone and blind, _a traitorous voice sounding like Pitch asked at the back of his head. Jack told it to shut up.

Once he'd gotten his thoughts in order again, he tried to piece together what had happened. Taking in the hot air that smelled of sand, he was guessing Asbit had dragged him off somewhere. Why? He had no idea. He had seriously thought he'd die when he'd been buried in the burning sand. Then he wondered if he even could die. He had thought the only one who could kill spirits was the Reaper. They were, after all, immortal. Maybe that was why Asbit had dragged him with her then? She couldn't kill him. But then, what exactly was she planning to do with him?

Finally Jack got enough of laying and trying to think of answers to impossible questions and pushed himself upwards to a sitting position. His arms were shaking and he felt like his skin was melting, all which he knew was because of the heat. Still, he forced himself on his feet, but stumbled. He hit a wall almost immediately, but the slightly colder surface felt good on his skin, so he let himself relax even if only a little. He was still leaning against the wall, eyes closed and shaking, when he heard a loud _clank _followed by soft footsteps.

Jack forced himself to stay still and relaxed though he was trying his hardest not to let the slight trembling show. He would have to locate his staff as soon as possible. The footsteps stopped few meters before reaching him.

"Well, aren't you in a pitiful state", Asbit stated and Jack forced his eyes to stay shut despite his instinct to try and locate the source of the voice with his eyes.

"Yeah, I could use a cool iced drink right now, if you would, thanks", Jack said with a smirk, though internally he winced at how weak his voice sounded. He hoped it didn't sound as miserable to the fire spirit. Asbit laughed, an emotionless laugh showing no actual amusement at all. And that was all the warning Jack had before he was slammed forward, away from the wall. He stumbled and fell on his knees. His side ached and he was sure it would a bruise in few hours. Sand started to form beneath his hands.

With a start he pushed himself off the floor only to be hit back down again, this time with greater force, so he rolled on the sand floor for couple of meters before stopping on his stomach. He groaned and pushed himself on his knees, his arms screaming of exhaustion. He heard her steps coming closer again and on instinct he shied away from her. He scowled at himself for showing such an obvious sign of fear. For a moment his frustration pushed aside his exhaustion and he felt frost creeping up his arms. Surprised, Jack concentrated on the frost, willing it form thicker and wider, but the magic was once again slipping by his fingers when hazy memories flashed in his mind.

_He was flying. The sun shone brightly and he was worried it would melt off all the snow before he could even finish spreading it. But of course it wouldn't happen, the light was cold, it was middle winter after all and he-_

_Not now_, Jack thought desperately and pulled himself from the stream of memories. The sunlight burning at his eyes disappeared along with the wind. The frost receded from his arms. Hurriedly, while he still could, Jack shot up from his kneeling positions and delivered a solid punch at the woman standing above him. It was the first time he'd hit anyone and he was glad he couldn't see it was a her- and he hissed at the pain that flared at his fist once he'd made contact. He was so not doing that again.

He heard Asbit stumble backwards with a shriek, and Jack felt a cold breeze coming from her way, before it was all but burned away. He figured it was the frost that had her, rather than the punch itself. That, Jack thought, had probably hurt him more than her. Who would've thought punching someone would hurt that much?

He didn't get to ponder about it long, before Asbit struck viciously at him. He flew across the room, hitting the stone wall with his side first. The sand softened his fall some, but it was still burning hot and Jack wondered if he'd get blisters. Still, he forced himself on his feet, steadying himself by leaning on the wall. He still remembered where he'd heard the sound, as if a heavy door opening, when Asbit had come in. And Asbit was no longer standing in the way. That is, if she hadn't moved back after sending him flying against the wall. He didn't have time to wonder about it though and so he dashed.

He only managed few steps when he heard her laugh.

"And where do you think you're going, so rudely in middle of our game?" she asked and Jack felt the sand move beneath his feet. He fell with a surprised shout.

"Do you not understand yet? And you are supposed to be centuries old. Well, of course, that is what happens when you abandon your history. Me, I am still Asbit despite all the times I've been brought back. Just what have you done yourself Jokul, hmm? I did not expect you to be this easy to handle", Asbit kept going and Jack heard her coming closer. The sand was burning against his hands and cheek and the slide of skin on his stomach where his hoodie had been pushed up as he fell. Again he pushed himself on his feet, just to be thrown back on the sand by a powerful kick to his side. Jack groaned. The heat was sapping him of the little strength he had and without his staff he had no way of letting loose the power he had stored away. Except…

It was a futile attempt, he knew it even before he tried it, but he was running out of options. He wouldn't be able to keep on getting on his feet for much longer and without some moonlight or his staff, he was left blind and powerless. Except he wasn't, he shouldn't be. He could feel the power inside him, but whenever he reached for it, his mind was filled with bitter emotions, anger and grief. Of which none were his own.

Jack knew better than to expect for help either. The distance between them would render Pitch useless and Loki had left hours before Jack got kidnapped and probably still wasn't back. Who else was there to come to his rescue? The Guardians? The last he'd seen one of them was months ago and even then it had been just Sandy passing by on his nightly rounds. There was no one he could rely on and no strength left to put his trust on himself either. So he pulled on the power that was not linked with the memories nor did they sap much from his remaining strength. A glowing snowflake formed on his palm and he blew on it, willing it to reach Asbit.

"What…?" he heard her start, but trailed off at the same time as Jack felt his magic dissolving and flowing into her. A light laughter followed.

"So that was it? Your last straw? Ahh, what an delightful trick you have there. I feel-" she paused as if searching for the right words, "…joy, hopeful. As if there was nothing I should be afraid of…" She trailed off, and Jack could almost feel her eyes piercing him.

"What did you do? What was that? Were you trying to manipulate me? Erase my memories? _What did you do?_" Asbit was almost screaming at the end and Jack unconsciously scooted further away from her. He blinked. It hadn't worked exactly as it should have, though it would seem his… _trick _was a bit more powerful than he remembered it being. It made him somehow uneasy, to think it technically could be called manipulating, but Jack had long since learnt how not to dwell on things and subjects that made him uneasy. He would have to deal with it eventually, but he preferred later rather than sooner.

"Answer me!" Asbit screamed then when Jack didn't say anything. Jack frowned, wondering if it would be easier to slip past an angry Asbit rather than the calm one, but the thought left his mind when he tried to recall which way the door was at. It had been right before him before he fell and was kicked, after that he'd stayed mostly still, aside from trying to create some distance between himself and the angry fire spirit, so the door should be somewhere to his left.

Without really paying any thought to it, he let his unseeing eyes wonder as he tried to listen and feel the small drafts in the room so he could pinpoint the exact location of the doorway. He didn't even realize Asbit falling silent and the sand decreasing its constant movements. Not until Asbit spoke up again.

"Of course I heard the rumors, but to think they held this much truth… You really are blind, aren't you?" a shrill laughter escaped left her lips and Jack's head snapped towards the sound. "Oh how low you have fallen! Old Man Winter indeed, even losing his sight among with his praised powers due to his old age! Or could it be true? That you truly rejected your old memories? That you rejected even the power and experience it would give you? Your sight? Ah, no, surely you wouldn't be that much of an…" again she trailed off and Jack was desperately trying to find words to say, lies, distraction, anything! But nothing came to his mind. He wondered if was for the best. She had attacked him because she thought he was dangerous, right? Because she thought he was still Jokul. So when she realized he was just Jack, she had no reason to hold him, right? Still, his instincts told him to back off, so he started scooting backwards, away from the fire spirit.

"Oh but you are, aren't you? This is rich. Blind and powerless winter spirit, helpless without his staff and the wind to guide him. Alright, hey, I have a suggestion, would you hear me out? If you agree I'll let you go and even give you your staff back. After all, there is no way someone as weak as you could be of any danger to us. So, what do you say?" Asbit asked and finally Jack's back hit a wall and her footsteps stopped right in front of him. Relief flooded in when Jack heard her words and before he could stop himself, it made his lips open and the simple word "yes" slip from his lips. Asbit laughed again.

"Alright, then. Would you tell me, where will I find the Wind? Aura, was it? Answer this and I will let you go", she stated and Jack blinked in confusion. She was looking for the wind? Why? Couldn't she just have asked it herself? Or maybe others than Jack and Jokul weren't able to hear it? It didn't make much sense to Jack. He could hear the stars and water and rocks too if he tried, not that he understood them, and he had always assumed that all the spirits, or at least the nature spirits, would be able to hear them too. Or was it just that that they didn't understand? But Jack hadn't understood the wind in the beginning either. But he'd learnt. Why didn't Asbit do the same? But… Aura? Was that the Wind? So the wind had an incarnation as well… Now that he thought about it, he felt like he had heard Jokul mention it too.

"Why? Why are you looking for i- her? Can't you just ask it yourself?" Jack asked then in a weak attempt to buy himself more time. After all, he had no clue where the wind spirit was residing. Asbit snorted.

"You foolish little boy, do you think I have not tried? She does not speak to me. As to why… Do you think you are the only spirit who wants to fly? For us who have no wings, the wind spirit is the only one who can grant our wish, but after you… After Jokul made that idiotic deal with her, she has refused to carry or even address any of us. She even enforced his staff with her magic, so whoever controls the staff controls the Wind. But because Jokul had been using it as a conduct for his powers for so long, it made it impossible for anyone else but him unable to use it. I've been searching her for a long time for a contract of my own, but there are only few who hear her voice and even fewer who are willing to speak them out. So let's make a deal, your freedom and your staff for Aura's location, sounds fair, no?" Asbit told him and Jack's attempt to buy some time backfired. Now he had even more questions than before.

Like, if what Asbit said about Jokul's staff was true, why was Jack able to control the wind? He had never met her and so she had had no way of passing her magic into his staff. Also… Why were there so few who could understand her words? And why would they not tell Asbit where to find her? Unless, of course, the Wind spirit didn't want to be found. Which meant even if Jack did know where and how to find her, maybe he shouldn't say. It seemed he had taken a moment too long for his thoughts than he should've, for he felt Asbit crouching before him.

"Well? Are you going to tell me where she is?" she asked impatiently. Jack was frantically searching for words that would let him escape this situation and apparently it showed on his face too.

"You're not going to tell me are you? What a stubborn and stupid little thing you are. Do you not understand that here you are completely on my mercy? We are in middle of a desert, there is no way that shadow loving friend of yours will reach here for hours, nor will that trickster be able to find his way through the web of spells I have around my palace. Most of them are useless though, but let's not tell him that, shall we?" she chuckled to herself here, while had felt his stomach drop. _It doesn't make any difference, _he told himself, _you knew you couldn't expect help from the beginning. _But it still filled him with dread. He really was alone, helpless, powerless.

"So how, do you think, you'll ever be able to escape from my reach? I will have what I want and there is nothing you can do to-" she was interrupted when a clear and calm voice full of power called out.

"Perhaps I, instead, can make some difference then, hmm?" the room fell silent, the only sounds Jack could hear were his rabidly beating heart and shallow breathing. He knew he should recognize that voice, but he didn't know that many female spirits, much less had he spent enough time with them to memorize their voices. This certainly wasn't Tooth, nor Aurora, so who…?

"You… What are you doing here?" Asbit asked and Jack could hear her surprise and shock from her voice.

"Is it so wrong of me to come and see my misbehaving _children _every now and then?" the person asked, her voice taking a mocking tone when addressing them as her children. Now, who did he know who would call two nature spirits her children and had enough power to pop by whenever she felt like it? Jack felt even more confused when he connected the dots.

Why would Mother Nature decide to stop for a visit at a desert, especially now?

**-O-**

"Mi-misbehaving? I don't think you have a say in wha-" Asbit started, but was again cut off by the other female.

"Oh, but I do. You see, I have some business with this specific winter spirit here, so if you don't mind, we'll be taking our leave, and you two can catch up later. Is that agreeable to you two? What do you say, Frost?" Mother Nature stated and though Jack felt like his input really would make no difference, he nodded. She practically beamed with satisfaction.

"Well then, what are you still doing down there? Here, you may want this back. Come on then, we are leaving", she told him and Jack winced as something hard hit him on his forehead. Then a familiar cool feeling rushed through his body and a gentle breeze brushed past him with worried whispers. His staff. Feeling lightheaded with relief and the sudden cold crackling round him, he floated past Asbit without a second thought, towards to where he heard the Mother Nature's steps hitting against a stone floor. He never saw the insulted and heated glare Asbit threw at his back, not that it mattered. Most likely it would simply have made him smile wider.

**A/N**

I only now realized how effin' long this chapter is and how long this A/N is going to be... Anyway, I'm back! And it hasn't been a year! I'm only halfway done with the story though, so don't expect another update anytime soon. In a month probably? Also, this one is going to be a lot shorter than Silver Light for Blind eyes, but hopefully just as good. Anyway, I am aware of how long it probably is since you've read the first part, so here is a **small** summary for you and for new readers who don't want to read the previous one. But **be warned, this includes spoilers in case you do want to read the first part.**

The Man in the Moon appointed blind Jack as Pitch's guard and over the three hundred years they became something akin to friends. However, Pitch was still harboring grudge against the Guardians and when Jack starts having trouble with his powers, Pitch takes advantage and escapes. Jack learns the problems he has are because he is Jokul Frosti's reincarnation, but Jokul himself hasn't passed away yet, thus the reincarnation is incomplete and Jokul still has most of the Winter under his control. Jack and the Guardians stop Pitch and they form an alliance to take down Jokul who has also been trapping other spirits in blocks of ice.

While investigating, Pitch gets trapped in Jokul's palace and during the summer when Jack doesn't know where he is, Jack trains with Ondine to get better control of his powers. In autumn Jack learns that Pitch is in his old lair and according to Jack's plan to take down Jokul, they leave to find Loki, who had previously helped Jack to figure out how to find Jokul. Once finding Loki they retreat to North's Workshop, which has been turned to a sanctuary for spirits against Jokul. Before Jack's plan can be put into action though, Jokul busts in and they are forced to flee. Few days later Jack, Loki and Pitch challenge Jokul and the Grim Reaper collects his soul and passes his memories on to Jack. Jack still didn't get his vision back like he had thought he would. They then proceed to free the spirits Jokul had trapped. The story ends with Loki offering to help Jack deal with his newly gained memories and powers and so Jack, Pitch and Loki take off together.

**Spoilers end.**

I feel like I left so much out, but I guess I'll clarify if need arises... Anyway, I've been trying to tune down with all the new spirits and mythoilogy, so mostly you'll be meeting characters that already appeared in Silver Light for Blind Eyes. I'll try to remember and put info boxes in the A/Ns as new myth based characters are introduced, such as:

**Asbit **is the Egyptian goddess of fire. I made her into something akin to a spirit of desert too, it would seem...  
><strong>Loki <strong>is from Norse mythology, trickster god, god of fire and lies and so on. One of my personal favorites from Norse mythology.

Next: Pitch and Loki to the rescue~!


	2. Reunions

**Chapter 2** _Reunions_

Pitch was tired. For months now he had been forced to listen to the two young spirits (well, he liked to refer to them as younger than him, but he wasn't sure how truthful it was) argue over the same facts over and over again. Even if he hadn't been forbidden to take part in Jack's… training, he wouldn't have taken part in it anyway. It was childish to say the least. Jack stubbornly refusing to connect with Jokul's memories and Loki getting snappier each time he had to repeat himself. Not that Pitch could blame him. He couldn't say he supported Jack's stubborn decision, but he knew he was partly at fault there, even if it wasn't intentional. After all, he was a living example of what happened if you let some rather unknown power run wild in your head. Jack just seemed to be unable to believe that not all such powers were malicious or dark.

So he didn't interfere when Loki started with his usual remarks nor when Jack stubbornly decided to ignore his advice. Then Loki asked for his opinion and he almost, _almost, _told Jack to suck it up and do as Loki told him because _he was right_, Jack couldn't keep going like this. Either he'd have to get those memories sealed, along with the powers he had gained, or he would have to accept those memories and experience. But then he had glanced at Jack and realized that should he take Loki's side now, Jack would most likely flee, _again_, and he would have this hurt look on his eyes even if he tried to hide it and… Not that Pitch cared about _that_, obviously.

He just didn't like Jack going too far from him because of the leash the Man in the Moon had given him. He absolutely loathed it, but it wasn't as if he'd been given much choice. Had he refused, the Guardians would most likely have chased him back to his lair with his Nightmares and sealed it up. Not to mention Jack would have stupidly tried to interfere and either come with him or challenged the Guardians. The idea of Jack and the Guardians being hostile against each other sounded good, but damn that little sound in the back of his head reminding him how sad Jack would be and how he would still push on without showing it because apparently he actually _liked _and _cared _about Pitch. Sometimes the thought of it made Pitch feel ill, but more often than not, he felt a weird fondness towards the young winter spirit. It frustrated him to no end.

So to avoid such a conflicting situation, Pitch refused to take part in the duo's argument, and refused to act as a conscience for Jack. When Loki was gone though, Pitch took his chance to point out his opinion. Jack did flee anyway, but it was accompanied by a growl, so Pitch knew he wouldn't be going far and would be back in a day or two. He could've followed him, but despite the general belief, he wasn't Jack's stalker nor his baby sitter. So he stayed behind, guiding his Nightmares and weaving together the fear they brought back to him. It was a mistake, though.

Even Pitch felt the unnatural heat coming from the town Jack had flown off to from where he was. His eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion, but he had kept on doing what he was doing. Jack was most likely getting scolded again for doing something stupid with his powers. It happened once in a few months, more often if the spirits could actually catch him. Which they usually couldn't.

When the heat didn't go down in couple of minutes, he stopped weaving his black sand. Even the summer and fire spirits should know better than to mess too much with the seasons, not to mention Jack would be furious if the heat managed to melt all the snow and ice covering the city. It was where that boy Jack was fond of lived, after all. But at the moment, Pitch could barely feel Jack's winter magic at all.

Now a little bit alarmed, he called for one of his Nightmares and took off towards the town. They had barely managed to take some speed, when Pitch felt the familiar pang of pain in his head, before the ache reached the other parts of his body. As much as he hated to admit it, he fell off his Nightmare, groaning. In his pain hazed mind, he realized that someone must have magically transported Jack. His mind was screaming curses as he tried to push himself on his feet. His arms were trembling and his breathing came out in gasps.

Oh, how he _hated _that bond.

He fell back on the snow his face first. For a brief moment he allowed himself to close his eyes, but when he felt blissful darkness creeping on his mind, he forced them open again. He had to do something. But in this pitiful state… The Nightmare snorted restlessly beside him. Despite the flaring pain, he turned to look up at the horse-like creature. Pitch wasn't stupid, nor particularly stubborn, but he still had his pride. Jack had often joked about how Pitch would rather die before admitting he was wrong on something because of his pride, which Pitch denied of course. Because Pitch had long since learnt what it took to survive and even his pride would not stand in the way of his survival. He would not die.

But it wasn't about his life this time. It was about Jack's. So would he be able to swallow up his pride for Jack's sake? It frightened him that the answer came to him the second he asked the question from himself.

Yes, yes he would.

It took all the strength and concentration he could muster to push himself forward so he could reach the Nightmare. With a slight brush against its sandy mane, he sent forward his order and the Nightmare took off with a not-so-horse-like scream. Now all that was left for him to do was wait. And he waited, curled on the ground and cursing the pain and the bind the Moon had bestowed on him.

-O-

Perhaps it had been only a few minutes, or maybe it had been hours, Pitch really couldn't say, but eventually he heard the sound of heavy hooves hitting on the ground. His Nightmares never made a sound so carelessly while running, so even if he hadn't been able to tell that the sounds of four pairs of legs actually came from one horse, he would have known who it was.

Then heard a silent _thump_, as Loki dismounted and briefly wondered why exactly he had felt the need to contact this spirit in particular. Because they both cared for Jack? In that case it would've been more reasonable to contact the Guardians. No, ever since he met the spirit at the cave when they had been looking for him with Jack, Pitch had seen something similar in the spirit. He had been reluctant of letting him close to Jack, wary of him "staining" the young spirit with the same darkness that Pitch could tell lived deep inside him. It wasn't exactly the same as him though. Loki was clearly in control of it, even to the point that the spirit was good natured and kind, even if he did love trouble. For Pitch, the darkness had come from outside while he had still been "good", a warrior. The darkness and, dare he say, loneliness, had made it fester and grow. While for Loki… He wasn't exactly sure.

Perhaps it was all the years he'd spent as an outcast and had been scorned upon. Perhaps all the times he'd been classified as a villain had at some point turned him into one. Or perhaps it really was simply because of his origin, as he had once claimed to be a child of chaos. Whatever it was, it was something Pitch could somewhat relate to and once he did recognize it as it was, it made it easier to trust the spirit. At least with matters concerning Jack. Jack simply seemed to be a magnet of all kinds of odd spirits and outcasts.

"Pitch? What's up with that spell? I haven't seen it act like that before… Where's Jack?" Loki asked once he had reached Pitch and crouched in front of him. He didn't try and offer to help him up, nor did he voice any concern for his wellbeing of which Pitch was grateful.

"Don't know. Someone transported him somewhere…" Pitch grimaced as another wave of pain hit him "Somewhere far. Very far", he was again pushing himself upwards and managed to get on his knees before collapsing, this time against a thin tree that barely held his weight. Loki was blinking owlishly.

"You mean someone _kidnapped _him?" he asked incredulously and his lips were twitching as if he was straining himself not to laugh. Pitch just glared at him. This was the side he didn't particularly care for in Loki, and in Jack as well. But at the same time… He felt it drawing him in.

"Yes!" Pitch hissed and Loki sobered quickly under the glare Pitch was sending him, before returning the glare with the same force. Before he could snap something back at him though, Pitch growled out: "You can trace him by following this… _spell _between us, can you not?" Loki blinked again and his eyes shifted to look at something over Pitch's chest, before following that something to South-East.

"Yeah…" he answered distantly, before getting up and walking to that monster of a horse and mounting it. He had almost disappeared behind the trees again, when he turned to look back at Pitch, his green eyes sparkling with determination.

"Don't worry, I'll bring your baby boy back!" he stated then with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. Pitch growled.

"You don't need to tell me that", Pitch told him, but he was already far gone. That horse really did have its uses then. Then, finally, Pitch let the darkness hovering at the corners of his mind to close in. His eyes fluttered shut, and he thought that for a brief moment he had caught a sight of long, long black hair and flowing dress that he _knew_, but then it was gone and he fell unconscious.

-O-

The pain was easing up, when he came to. It was still there, pounding in the back of his head and as an ache on his arms and legs, but it wasn't that bad anymore. Finally Pitch could push himself upwards on his feet, snapping in two the little tree that had supported him. He wasn't sure how long he'd been out, but as he took in his surroundings, it couldn't have been more than an hour or two. The pull on the magical bind was slowly getting easier to bear so Pitch assumed Loki had done his job right for once and was now escorting Jack back.

Impatient to know what had happened, Pitch called for one of his Nightmares and took off towards where the pull was coming from. He didn't have to go too far until the pull was small enough that he was close to losing it, but still… He saw no sign of Jack nor Loki. The forest was silent around him, the setting sun casting few rays of lights on the thin snow cover. With a huff, Pitch signed for his Nightmare to slow down.

Only a moment later the silence was broken by the sound of heavy hooves hitting the ground in trot. Knowing that there were only very few stables around here, and even fewer humans who went riding this late in evening, Pitch took off to the direction where the sound came from. True enough, he soon saw a familiar monster of a horse trotting from the frozen bushes. Though the horse noticed him as soon, if not sooner, as Pitch noticed them, Loki, instead, stayed crouched, his eyes narrowed and locked on the ground.

That was the moment Pitch's Nightmare decided to let out a snort as it grew restless. Loki jumped on Sleipnir's back and Pitch could swear he saw something green flare around his fists, but he didn't take his eyes off the ground.

"I take it you didn't find him?" Pitch asked when Loki simply continued ignoring him. Loki's hand shot up in shushing motion and Pitch blinked in surprise, before frowning. He tended to forget how insolent Loki could be at times… Well, he would overlook it this time as it seemed Loki was really focused on something.

"I did, kind of. Or not. I mean… I kind of know where he is, but… I don't", Loki told him. His frown deepening, Pitch signed his Nightmare to follow after the green eyed spirit and his son. Just as Pitch was about to question his statement, Loki spoke up again: "Look!" He waved at the ground ahead of them. Pitch strained his eyes to see what Loki could be pointing at, but nothing caught his attention. The snow was unblemished, glittering slightly from the sunlight.

"What-" Pitch stated, but then he realized something. It was as if the snow was a bit too unblemished, too even. You know when you fill a cup with powder and shake it carefully and it settles to an even surface? Pitch was fairly sure the snow hadn't originally been clean enough to form such an even surface so he focused his eyes on the spots where something stuck out from the snow and true enough. The ground was vibrating. While it was still looking, something moved beneath the cover of snow, creating a small ripple across the even surface.

"I'm fairly sure I know someone who can use a travelling method like this, I mean, not using tunnels like Bunny and the groundhog, but travelling just beneath the ground. I'm hoping I'm wrong though, because if it really is her… I'm going to have to ask Sleipnir stretch his legs again". Loki told him and if his words weren't enough of a pointer, Pitch could remember one spirit who could use such means of transportation as well. The thought filled him dread, not that he even bothered to acknowledge that particular feeling. His thoughts were more focused on the fact that according to Loki, it wasn't just her down there, but Jack too. Pitch could practically smell the approaching catastrophe. With growing dread, they watched as the ground opened a pathway, the powdered snow falling in. The roots twisted and turned forming a flight of stairs and they heard light steps making their way up the stairs. Pitch and Loki shared a wary look before turning their eyes on the approaching figure.

**-O-**

Jack didn't even notice it, when they suddenly seemed to be walking underground instead of inside some desert building. The air grew colder and the white haired youth sighed in relief. He didn't feel like he was melting anymore. He was content to simply follow behind Mother Nature for about the first ten minutes, while concentrating on the feeling of his various burns frosting over and beginning to heal. When the aching and burning feeling was mostly gone, he finally decided to start wondering why exactly she was there. Had Loki been with him, it would've been understandable, due to her obsession with his friend, but other than that, Jack hadn't had too much contact with her. So why would she rush over in order to help him? Feeling of shame prickled inside him for a moment, realizing he had been _rescued, _but he pushed it aside as soon as it came. He'd just have to do better next time, right?

"So… How come you're actually here?" Jack asked , making it sound as if he was just asking out of boredom. He made sure to keep his gaze slightly downward, as if he wasn't that interested in the subject, while trying to avoid making his blindness obvious. Mother Nature's footsteps didn't falter as she replied: "I was simply curious as to why two elementals were having a spat at times like these. I would have thought that things would calm down after the whole Jokul ordeal." Jack flinched a bit and refrained himself from launching into explanations and apologizes. Something in her voice made him feel like a little kid caught sneaking out cookies. Then she sighed.

"Well, I guess this was to be expected… Those two… I swear if I'll get my hands on them I'll wring their necks…" Jack blinked owlishly as she trailed off, muttering threats under her breath. Jack was itching to ask just who he was talking about, but listening to the venomous tone of her voice, he snapped his mouth shut. She went quiet after a while and they walked in silence for a few minutes before she spoke again.

"You do know why she was after you, right?" she asked and Jack jumped a bit in surprise.

"Uh, she said something about wanting to find the Wind, Aura was it?" Jack answered and Mother Nature fell silent for a few seconds. Jack traced his staff, up and down, fingers running over the ever so small cracks it had from being broken to splinters back when Jokul had busted to the Workshop… He shook the memory from his mind, before the anxiety came back.

" Yes… That's right. Asbit has always been a bit paranoid. If only she would realize that the world really isn't as dangerous as she makes it out to be…" Mother Nature sighed, "I just know that twisted old creep and his oh-so-clever scrawny bud are behind this. I just don't get how they seem to seep insanity like a squashed sponge…" Again Jack was left confused as she trailed off. Who was she talking about again? Some spirits caused this change in Asbit? How was that even possible? But then he remembered the change Jokul went through and the sounds of his footsteps faded as he remembered the hallway of ice and a blurry figure standing by a window, swirling some liquid in a glass… With a silent gasp, Jack tore himself from the memories, because _those weren't his, _and he felt that if he dwelled in too deep he wouldn't be coming back. As if the pressure of Jokul's consciousness was hovering there at the back of his mind, just waiting to take over. Because what were a few hundred years worth of memories compared that of a thousand or more?

"You have to be careful, you know. It's tricky business, this thing Jokul started with Aura. Now that the staff no longer works as the seal, even I am surprised the Wind obeys you. She must really like you. Still, should someone find her before you, I'm certain they would find a way to… persuade her to change her afflictions. I would go looking for her myself, if I were you, especially if what I suspect is right and she really was sealed in that- Of course, it's not my business to stick my nose in what goes between every elemental spirit. This is just… a warning if you will", Mother Nature told him and Jack was surprised by her lengthy speech, but now that he thought about it, hadn't she been acting a bit off for the whole time they were talking? Again, Jack heard her sigh and a sound that reminded him of when Pitch rubbed his forehead when Jack had done something, well, stupid. Jack wondered if this, whatever it was that was going on between the elemental spirits was affecting more than she let on.

They didn't speak for the rest of the walk and about an hour later, according to Jack's internal clock, Mother Nature slowed down.

"It seems you have a welcoming committee waiting for you once we get you above ground, here, let me" she spoke up and Jack felt the small rush of air as she waved her arms in a wide arc. Jack tilted his head slightly as he felt the ground vibrate beneath his feet. Then a small sliver of moonlight entered the… whatever they were walking in and Jack watched in amazement as the roots twisted and formed a flight of stairs. Powdered snow fell on the steps and cold air rushed in with the wind that came to greet him with soft whispers. At the same second, Jack felt the ever present buzz off the bind between him and Pitch fade off and smiled. He was about to rush up the stairs to greet him when the sound of Mother Nature's voice made him halt.

"Remember what I said Jack and… I would advise you to take care of this problem of yours, whatever it is that is preventing you from attaining all Jokul's powers and experiment", she stated and for a fragment of second, he thought he heard a tinge of worry in her voice, but it was gone too soon to make sure. Jack nodded and again, was about to take off, when she called out: "And say hello to my father for me!" But Jack didn't grasp the meaning of the words until he was already halfway up the stairs. He halted, turning to look behind him with wide eyes.

"Your father?!" he managed to stutter out, but then he felt the roots under his feet start twisting again and decided it could wait for a bit longer.

Jack stumbled up the last steps just as the ground closed up again. He was immediately met with and exited whoop and pair of hands gripping his shoulders.

"Where have you been, Frost? And what were you doing with my daughter? …_are those burn marks_?"

**A/N**

I lied. It didn't take me a month to post the second chapter. Sorry.  
>There is a reason for that. Which is, that I posted the wrong first chapter. Sorry. This events in this chapter were supposed to be included in the last one, and that is why this one is so short. Oh well.<p>

No explanations needed I guess? Except that I'm still not sure if it was a good idea to start this story like this... Too many things happening. And too little happening in this one. Oh well, this story will be pretty fast paced, at least the first part which I've already written, I'm still not sure about the second half, though, since things always happen when I actually start writing even though I already have most of it planned out...

Anyway, thank you for favs and following! Reviews sure would be nice too... *hint hint* :D

Next: Jack makes decisions~ (you can expect it to appear in a month or so I guess. Or I might surprise you again, who knows)


	3. Making Plans

**Chapter 3 **_Making Plans_

It took much longer than Jack would've liked to explain what exactly had happened after he had stormed off so suddenly. And even longer to explain that yes, he was ready to start training, for real this time. The feeling of powerlessness while slowly sinking into burning sand… Well, it wasn't an experience Jack wanted to repeat. Still… He wasn't very ecstatic about having to dwell even deeper on memories that weren't his. It was a necessary evil though, unless of course Jack was planning to let his powers fade away along with the memories.

Loki had warned him about the fact he wouldn't be able to use his powers without drawing on Jokul's experience subconsciously. Jack figured he hadn't completely believed Loki, not until the things that came naturally for him, such as making snowballs and freezing lakes, became harder and harder to complete without having a flashback. Of course he had immediately shut the memory down, but it also meant blocking the flow of winter magic.

That was how Jack found himself perched on a thick branch overlooking a clearing in the middle of nowhere.

"I still think the best way to do this is by you doing the stuff you usually do. Start with something little and for Asgard's sake, don't try to block the memories. Just… I don't know, let them flow? Don't latch on them either. The most important thing you have to remember is that _you are you_, Jack Frost. As long as you remember that you'll be just fine", Loki finished with a nod. Jack sighed on his branch, before slipping his feet from beneath him to sit down properly. Something easy, huh? With a shrug, Jack trailed his fingers over the trunk of the tree, leaving behind patterns of frost. Now that he was concentrating on detecting the unfamiliar memories he could immediately make out the humming in his ears and the feeling as if he was flying, even though he knew he was sitting still securely on his branch. His fingers left the tree trunk and the feeling disappeared. Blinking, Jack glanced down to the silvery figure he knew to be Loki.

"Well?" Loki asked impatiently.

"Give me some time", Jack told him, distracted. If he could do this little by little, one glimpse at a time, maybe he actually _could _do this. And if there was one thing they had as spirits it was time. Loki sighed and nodded slowly, hesitating, but Jack wasn't paying attention anymore, his fingers reaching to touch the branch above him.

**-O-**

Loki watched the young winter spirit pretty much mummifying the tree with frost before turning around and marching to the last shadows of the night. The sun was slowly creeping up the sky making the green eyed spirit frown. He had waited too long already. The tale Jack had told him and how he had described the Mother Nature and Asbit's behavior… it got Loki on the edge. He was the spirit of magic, so it was easy for him to tell when other's magic was on work and for a few months now he had had an unpleasant feeling. It was as if someone was reaching out with their magic, way over their boundaries, stretching and twisting the magic around them to fit their purposes. Loki didn't like it, but the more he tried to make sense of it, the more he could feel it sticking to the edges of his mind. It was very unnerving and made him feel like his center was shifting again. It reminded him of all the things he had gone through, all the things he had done. Things that could easily drive him into insanity should he dwell in them for too long.

Insanity… That's what it all seemed to have been about for couple of years now. It started with Jokul, but after he was gone, it had been twirling around, latching itself into spirits that wandered on the edge. Spirits like Asbit and Mother Nature. Spirits like Loki. Although Loki had a bit of an advantage, since he could tell whenever foreign magic was working on him. He also had a pretty good idea on who was causing all this mess, but before he could do anything about it, he would have to find out more. That was why he was slowly making his way towards Pitch.

"Oi", Loki called out when he got close enough. Well, practically standing over Pitch, since the gray skinned spirit was sitting on the ground, reading some old looking book. Loki could tell he had surprised the spirit, and grinned, although the slightly widened eyes quickly narrowed to a glare as Pitch spotted him.

"What is it now?" Pitch growled out, clearly annoyed at himself for lowering his guard.

"Just thought I'd say bye before leaving", Loki told him while wrapping his scarf more properly around his neck. Pitch raised his non-existent eyebrows.

"Leaving?" he questioned. Loki shrugged.

"You know, people to see, places to be", he explained, lied, nonchalantly. When Pitch narrowed his eyes again Loki almost flinched. Perhaps he had spent too much time around these two, since his lies no more worked as well as they should have.

"Now that you actually got Jack to train properly?" Oh, yeah. Maybe that was why his lie was obvious. Loki honestly liked the younger spirit. It had been a long time he had spent time with someone who had the same sense of humor he did. Well, actually, it had been a long time since he had spent time with anyone that wasn't Sleipnir or Hel or… Loki forced his thoughts away. It was still painful to remember Jormungandr, although it had been almost two hundred years since he faded. Loki sighed.

"Alright, alright… I kind of have something to do. There's something that has been bothering me lately, bugging in the back of my mind and I-" Loki was cut off by how Pitch's face adopted a thoughtful and understanding look. Stunned, Loki gaped. It wasn't often Pitch looked him with anything else than glare or slightly annoyed or frustrated look even though they did come along pretty well.

"It's about the same thing that was bothering Mother Nature and Asbit, is it not?" Pitch asked.

"How did you…?" Loki trailed off at Pitch's sharp look.

"I may not have power over magic, but even I can tell when there is something whispering in the back of my mind, urging me into darkness", Pitch told him and Loki gaped. He figured he really hadn't been giving Pitch enough credit. Pitch Black was an old spirit and though there was little Loki actually knew about the elusive spirit he knew he was smart and quick at drawing deductions. And he guessed it made sense that Pitch had become very good at recognizing the things affecting his mind along with those that did not belong. So he nodded rather dumbly and took a step back, about to take his leave, but stopped.

"Oh and… I think Jack will stick to recalling small things for a little while, but when he does move on to complete memories… You may be needed to remind him of who he is every now and then", Loki told him and Pitch nodded slowly. Loki felt a bit bad leaving at a time like this, but it wasn't like he could do much even if he did stay. And it may have been the best even for Jack. Pitch was a rather neutral spirit for Jokul, since they had hardly ever been in contact while Loki and Jokul had once been rather close acquaintances. It could have gotten very confusing for Jack to emerge from one of Jokul's memories of him just so see someone from Jokul's memories still standing right in front of him.

He was shaken from his thoughts as Sleipnir trotted up to him, pushing gently against his hand. Silently asking him if he was okay. Loki smiled softly, playing with his son's mane to assure him, before climbing on his back. It had taken years for Loki to get used to the idea of riding on the back of his son, who he knew was more intelligent than his supposed brother. Almost as smart as he was, actually. But Sleipnir had kept bugging him about it day and night until Loki had finally given up and climbed on his back. After the first time Loki had never wanted to get down again.

Sleipnir dug his hooves on the snow, his muscles tense as he was about to take off… Loki casted a look behind him where his friend was painting trees with his frost, clearly lost in moments and feelings that weren't his. A stab of worry ghosted on Loki's mind. There couldn't be a worst timing for Jack to start struggling with himself… Although, Loki could be wrong. It could be just a passing change in magic generally. It had happened once or twice before, when people's views on magic and world changes drastically and the magic surrounding them took a form more suiting to their views. Loki sighed and Sleipnir took off.

Well… it was healthy to have dreams.

**-O-**

Jack was completely oblivious to the world around him. His unseeing eyes were focused on scenery existing only on his mind. He was flying… no, _Jokul _was flying. The wind was laughing and tugging on his clothes, almost as excited as he was. Then he blinked and the scenery faded into darkness that Jack had somewhat grown accustomed to.

It had been two days already. Two days filled with frost and memories. Two days without Loki. Jack was still curious as to why the green eyed spirit had left them, though Pitch kept insisting it was simply because he could do nothing to help Jack even if he were there. Pitch had added he would have left by now too, if it wasn't for the bind. Actually, now that Jack thought about it, Pitch had stayed closer to him than usual after the whole deal with Asbit.

"I guess I'm not the only one affected by that incident then", Jack muttered to himself as he dusted his hoodie off the frost that had gathered there. His hand brushed against the flower twined over his chest and he mentally thanked Bunny for making the flower's resistance to frost and cold so high.

"Hey, Pitch?" Jack asked loudly in order to pinpoint the older spirit. He received a small swishing sound from somewhere to his right and turned that way. Among with reliving glimpses of Jokul's memories, Jack had had a lot of time to think. What Asbit and Mother Nature had told him about the Wind still bothered him somewhat, enough for him to try and strike a conversation with it, something he had never done before. It... didn't go exactly as he had planned. It had started with Jack's awkward hello and the Wind had laughed at him and ruffled his hair. Jack had almost given up on embarrassment, but the Wind had started whispering again, telling him tales of what was happening all around the world. It spoke with many voices, so it was hard to catch more than few words of each.

Then Jack had finally mustered enough courage to ask the Wind about Jokul. And the Wind had gone silent. Jack had never heard it gone silent quite like that other than when he had lost his staff. It had been unnerving and Jack had been about to apologize when the Wind had answered him. It didn't answer his question, not like he expected it to at least. Instead, it had whispered two words before falling silent again.

_Find me._

And that was why, almost twelve hours later, Jack was finally approaching Pitch about it. Jack just couldn't find a reason as to _why _he would have to find it- her. The Wind carried him just fine, which meant that the deal she had made with Jokul still worked, right? But still… Jack wasn't exactly sure what the Wind meant to him. It- _she _wasn't his friend exactly, nor did Jack actually even know anything about her. She was just… A companion? Something that was always with him. Jack couldn't imagine being who he was without the Wind. And now the Wind had asked him to find her? Jack wasn't sure he wanted to. If he actually did meet her… Was she just like any other spirit? Spirit of Wind… What would she look like? What was she like? How would things change if he actually got to know the person behind the Wind? But she had asked him to find her… With a frown, Jack approached Pitch, before settling down to sit next to him.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Jack could occasionally hear Pitch turning pages of the book he was reading. Where did he get those anyway? Shaking the thought from his mind, Jack fiddled with his staff, wondering how to begin…

"Just spit it out already, Frost", Pitch growled then making Jack jump a bit. Scowling, Jack forced himself to lower his hands along with his staff.

"I want to go look for the Wind" Jack blurted out. Then he felt like hitting himself. That didn't sound cryptic at all. He was about to clarify, but Pitch spoke out before he could.

"You mean Aura?" Pitch questioned and Jack heard him close his book with a _thump_. It must be a pretty thick book. Jack was about to reach for it to find out for himself, but then blinked and refrained himself when he remembered Pitch's question. Then he frowned. Pitch seemed to notice the change and sighed.

"I was already expecting this after what you told us what Mother Nature told you. I'm surprised it took you this long to make up your mind, though", Pitch said evenly and Jack blinked again. Oh yeah, he did tell them that. Then he smirked. It was odd hearing Pitch talk about Mother Nature after hearing him slip up once. Jack still didn't know much about what had happened between them, but for once, he didn't feel like prying either. If Pitch wanted to tell him, which he doubted, he would listen, but he didn't particularly care. He had spent three hundred years with Pitch, if it was important he would know about it already.

"I…" Jack wondered what he should say. Pitch had already known he would go looking for her before he did? Somehow it didn't surprise him, but still… "…she asked me to. To find her that is." He could practically feel Pitch staring at him. Then the older spirit sighed and put away his book. Where to, Jack didn't know and didn't get the time to ask before the older spirit had brushed the snow off his robe.

"So, where to?" Pitch asked while Jack climbed on his feet.

"I have no idea" Jack told him with a grin.

**-O-**

A week later, Jack still had no idea from where to start looking for Aura, so he and Pitch just wandered around aimlessly. Somehow, though, they ended up back at Burgess, or more accurately at the lake near Burgess. Due to Jack's distraction for the last couple of weeks, the winter had been pretty thaw and the lake had barely frozen. Out of habit, Jack found himself skipping across the ice, strengthening it. Losing a life to it twice was enough for him and he had no intentions of letting the tragedies continue if he could help it. Even if the first one had ended up with him becoming a spirit by the choice of the Moon, because he had saved his little sister…

Jack stopped abruptly, blinking. His sister… Come to think of it, he still had no idea what had happened to her. He hoped she had gotten to live a full life and that she didn't spend too much time grieving for him, but he still didn't know for sure. But he had a chance to find out, didn't he? His mind flashed back to the deal he had made with the Grim Reaper. Well, he hadn't exactly known what he would want to ask the Grim Reaper, not until he got his memories back. But he'd never had the chance to ask the question. First he had been busy with the whole Guardians and Jokul thingy and after that… Well, it had slipped his mind.

But now that he stood at the same spot he had drowned in so many years ago, the ache in his chest was as fresh as it had been three hundred years ago. Oh, he really did miss his sister. Her wide, innocent brown eyes and her bright smile and childish giggles. She was long gone already, but maybe, if he knew what had happened to her, it would make it easier to remember. But then again, was this really the right time to be wondering about that? Even though they had no clue where to look for the Aura, Jack felt like by going after the memory of his sister he would be neglecting Aura. And while he hated to admit it, the fate of his sister wouldn't be going anywhere, but Aura, the Wind, his companion…

Jack's eyes widened. Of course! He _did_ have a reason to pay a visit to the Grim Reaper after all! Other than because of his sister that is. Because other than Aurora, who was the person who knew most of Jokul's comings and goings? Someone who had been his friend for centuries… Aurora, Jack knew, had only known Jokul for about half a millennia, but Jokul had been able to fly long before that. And the only one Jack knew that had known Jokul longer that Aurora was the Grim Reaper.

Grinning widely Jack spun around to where he saw Pitch's silvery figure standing by the dark, dark shadows. Before Jack could voice out his idea though, he heard Pitch groan.

"What is it now, Frost? Just so you know, no, I won't try skating with you and no, I won't be having a snowball fight with you and the little brats. So unless the Wind decided to prove itself useful and tell you where to find her, I don't really care what you are about to say with that big, stupid grin on your face", Pitch told him and Jack pouted a bit. Pitch had seemed to become more and more grumpy as the days went by. Jack was too excited to dwell on it right now though so he just shook his head and replaced the grin back on his face.

"No, I still don't know where to find her", Jack told him and Pitch heaved a sigh.

"But", Jack started and watched as Pitch tilted his head ever so slightly, "I may know someone who does." Jack could tell Pitch had more than a few suspicions about this source of his, but at least he didn't voice them. Besides, Jack was sure that if someone other than Jokul knew where to find Aura, it was Thanatos, the Grim Reaper. Well, pretty sure, like, almost 100%. Or maybe 80%...? Or 70%... However it was, it was better than nothing.

**-O-**

Jack was glad he didn't have to run through different graveyards or hospitals this time, but still… How was he supposed to do this again? He had told Pitch he could call Thanatos to wherever they went, but… What if he couldn't? Maybe it only worked on certain places or something. Besides, what was he supposed to do anyway? Should he just yell his name, or was it enough if he just stated it normally. And how was he even supposed to greet him? From which time would Thanatos be coming from this time? Jack frowned and turned to glance at Pitch who was standing little behind him in order to give them some privacy while still being able to hear what they said. One of Pitch Nightmares was standing by him, but Pitch had refused to tell him why he had called for it. He had just cast a blank look at Jack when he had asked about it.

They were still by the lake, but Jack wasn't standing on the ice anymore, since it tended to make some spirits uncomfortable to be so clearly standing in his element, at least according to Pitch. Though Pitch himself had no trouble trusting Jack to make sure he wouldn't fall through the ice anytime soon.

When Pitch cast a pointed look at him, Jack realized he was stalling. With a sigh, he turned around and ran his fingers though his snow white hair. Alright, he would just… Say it out loud. If it didn't work he would say it louder. If it still didn't work they could just go to a graveyard or something and try again.

"Thanatos?" Jack finally called out. The Wind stilled briefly, before blowing faster as if to carry his words even further. They stood still for a few minutes and waited.

Nothing happened.

Jack was gathering up his confidence to yell the name, when Pitch's Nightmare snorted nervously and would have dissolved into black sand had Pitch not been standing beside it to comfort it. Jack turned to look at them briefly and stilled, narrowing his eyes. Someone was walking out from the tree line. Someone wearing a long worn robe and carrying a scythe.

Thanatos barely spared a glance at Pitch and his Nightmare as he passed them. Instead his eyes were focused on Jack who was grinning widely by now, feeling unnecessarily proud of his achievement. Thanatos stopped, leaving a couple of meters between them and lowered his hood. The first time Jack had met him, it had been a moonless night and Jack hadn't been able to make out much of the figure. The second time he met the Grim Reaper, he hadn't been in the right set of mind to inspect him and he had been wearing his hood.

Now Jack could make out the slightly wavy shoulder length hair, high cheekbones and slender neck. Thanatos had told him his hair and eyes were black, while his skin was almost unnaturally pale. Jack found it refreshing to be able to imagine the colors along with seeing the silvery figure, even though being able to actually _see _them himself would have been even more refreshing. _Maybe one day,_ Jack thought to himself wistfully. After all, Jokul hadn't been blind and now that the winter wasn't split between them anymore Jack felt like it wasn't too wrong to hope to someday be able to see the world the way everyone else could.

"You know, it really is rare for people or spirits alike to call for death personally", Thanatos stated and Jack was brought back to the present. Then he grinned.

"Would you have preferred I run through each graveyard in the country again, instead?" Jack asked. His nerves were finally calming down and he leaned on his staff, crossing his ankles. Thanatos looked at him blankly, tilting his head.

"…You did that?" Thanatos asked him and Jack blinked. That wasn't right. Shouldn't Thanatos know that already? Shrugging it off Jack just smiled.

"I take it that means you have met me at least once already. Given I've also told you how to reach me", Thanatos said and Jack's smile faltered. Oh crap.

"You… don't know me yet? Or haven't… reaped me?" Jack asked, his previous enthusiasm gone. Thanatos didn't answer immediately, as if he was pondering how to phrase his next statement. Then he nodded slowly to himself and lowered his scythe slightly, relaxing.

"One of the disadvantages of having been born before the Time itself. I do know who you are however, Jack Frost, but any interactions I have, or rather, that I will have with you have yet to happen. But perhaps you could enlighten me as to why I gave you my name? For all my existence there are but few spirits who know by which name to reach me", Thanatos explained and Jack refrained from letting the disappointment show on his face. He couldn't stop himself from slumping a bit though, and heaving a sigh.

"I… uh… I guess I did you a favor of sorts…? You know I'm Jokul Frosti's reincarnation, right? You asked me something involving his passing and I did my best to go through with it. The thing is… You kind of promised me something in return" Jack told him, slightly shuffling his feet. He glanced behind him to see Pitch staring at him with narrowed eyes and flinched inwardly. He hadn't told Pitch about that deal, it would seem.

"Oh? And what was that?" Thanatos asked, taking it all in without missing a beat. Jack let himself relax a bit again. Maybe this would turn out alright after all.

"Um… Had you reaped me already you would know I left behind someone very precious to me. I was hoping… You could tell me how she died", Jack said, his eyes falling on his toes. Suddenly it felt like a very selfish and meaningless request. He was about to take it back, tell Thanatos to forget all about it, when Thanatos already answered.

"I'm sorry", he said and Jack's words got stuck in his throat. What…? What did he mean by that? His eyes widened and for a moment he couldn't breathe. Had something horrible happened to his sister? What if she had actually drowned at the lake with him? What if…? Thanatos seemed to take notice of his panic and rushed to continue.

"I'm sorry, but it seems I cannot give you the information you seek as of yet", Jack's breathing evened out slowly, his heartbeat slowing down with heavy beats. So… the Grim Reaper hadn't collected her soul yet? Jack closed his eyes and a heavy sigh escaped his lips. Well, he would just have to wait a little bit longer. He could do that, right? Besides, he really did have other things to think about right now. So with new found determination, he forced a smile on his lips and straightened his slumped form.

"Oh well. There is something else I would like to ask you though", Jack said with a confident smile. Thanatos lifted his eyebrows. He didn't seem offended or bothered. In fact judging from the ever so small tilt of his lips, Jack would have guessed that he was delighted.

"And what would that be?" And so Jack explained to him about the Wind, Aura and what Mother Nature and Asbit had told him. How the Wind had told him to find it and finally, Jack led the conversation on Jokul and if Thanatos happened to know anything about Aura's location. To his disappointment though, Thanatos shook his head sadly.

"I'm afraid Jokul hasn't shared that information with me and I doubt he ever will. But you told me you are his reincarnation, did you not? Could you not just find the information you seek from his memories?" Thanatos asked him and Jack felt like something had gotten stuck on his throat. He knew, of course, that through Jokul's memories he would most likely be able to find her, but… Even the small moments he had spent in Jokul's memories this far were disorienting and the couple of memories he had gone through that involved actual scenes playing out had left Jack feeling… odd. For few moments he hadn't been quite himself, but not Jokul either. Only when he had seen Pitch had he been able to ground himself and push aside the remnants of the memory. Even those memories were short though and revolved around Jokul's everyday life. How would it turn out if the memories concerned strong emotions or familiar spirits? Would Jack be able to return to himself? He wasn't very keen on finding out.

While Jack fought with himself inwardly, Thanatos inspected his reaction carefully and while the Reaper couldn't tell why, he could tell the young winter spirit had some trouble reaching for his previous self's memories and experience.

"I… Our exchange… I mean, I could, but…" Jack tried to form his feelings into words, but nothing came to mind. Fortunately, Thanatos had grasped the general idea from their conversation. After all, he had much experience at connecting separate information. He'd had a lot of practice.

"Then I would suggest you look for her from her home", Thanatos told them and with that he decided he had stalled for long enough. He could feel a soul needing to be departed close by and knew he would have to get to it as soon as possible should the soul actually reach the afterlife.

With a slight shift in the air, as if the Wind had suddenly slowed down, he was gone.

Jack stared blankly at the spot where the Grim Reaper had been standing only a second ago. "Look for her from her home" he had said. It would be a whole lot easier if Jack actually knew where her home was!

Sulking, Jack turned around and made his way to Pitch. Neither of them said anything as they left the lake. They weren't heading anywhere, just walking as the sun chased away the darkness, and for Jack, his vision.

"Well wasn't that helpful", Jack muttered to himself as they walked and Pitch snorted. Still, something kept nagging in the back of Jack's mind. Something about what the Grim Reaper said. "Look for her from her home". Jack's mind was whirring, but he couldn't quite grasp what it was that kept bugging him.

"From her home… From… Her… Home… Oh!" Jack shouted suddenly, making Pitch flinch at the sudden noise and throw a glare at him.

"I know who we should go see next", Jack stated, excited. He didn't know where her home was, but Jack knew a spirit who seemed to know where everyone's homes were. …Probably. Pitch was doing a successful job at glaring at him and looking curious at the same time.

"We're going to Japan!" Jack told him. The older spirit closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

**A/N**

It... hasn't... been a month...? I think? Huh. Well, anyway, I have a pretty important exam week going on (because not every exam week is important, duh) and it's also my last one so... Wish me luck! (I should be studying right now too...)

After that I should have some more time to write and maybe actually finish writing this story... (still about ten more chapters to go...) In other words, you still have changes of affecting some bits of the story by giving me suggestion and stuff. :D (I do have the main plot and ending decided but in case you want some specific spirits/scenes included (won't promise I'll do it, but I'll concsider it))

Some explanations...  
><strong>Thanatos <strong>Is the Greek god of Death (Yes, no, not Hades, who is the god of the Dead and Underworld), whom I personally am pretty interested in and thus the Grim Reaper is called that in this story.  
>...I don't think there is any more necessary explanations needed, but in case I'm wrong, ask away, I won't bite.<p>

Reviews:  
><strong>jayleaf1 <strong>Umm... You're welcome...? ^_^' And Mother Nature is Pitch's daughter from when he was human (or something alike at least). You'll find more about him and her from googling it or actually reading the books (which I clearly haven't done, sorry). Thank you for your review though~

**chibissima **Yay, thank youuu~ And you're very welcome. :3

**The Gun Slick** Thank you! ^_^ And now you know my suffering when going though RotG fanfics with evil Pitch... :'D I'm sorry for inflicting it to you too. And oh, wow. Wow. I feel like thanking you for liking Loki, but I guess that would sound weird...? (I was/am actually worried of giving him a too big role, but your review kind of made me feel more confident about it, so thanks~)

Until next time~ Which is in couple of weeks I guess...

Next: It's going to end in a cliffhanger. Don't hate me. :3


	4. Old Friends

**Chapter 4 **Old Friends

Pitch was feeling anxious. And bored. And frustrated. And… Well, you get the idea. All this Jack could tell from a single annoyed sigh. Well, in all honesty, it was a surprise he heard it at all, since he was busy re-living memories that weren't his. And how was he doing that if they were supposedly headed for Japan? Well, Jack had deemed that now that he had gotten a little better at just letting the memories flow though him, he could move on to little bit more difficult tasks and decided to get started on it in the area he was most familiar with. Which was freezing stuff.

Obviously, freezing things while flying was a bit hard so he had thought it would be a brilliant idea to walk all the way to Japan. Yes, walk. Over the seas. He still wasn't comfortable being so close to deep water, but he had faith in his powers, and Pitch, that he overcame that fear. For now at least.

Another step and a new patch of water got frozen and formed an uneven ground. The memories were stronger since he was using more of his power. Now he could feel the snow beneath his feet, smell the forest around him… And still, he knew he was walking on ice and the Wind brought with it the salty smell of the sea. In his mind, he saw the Winter Palace, but when he opened his eyes, he saw the silvery figure of Pitch trotting little above him on his Nightmare. And sighing.

The sigh was what pulled Jack from the flow of memories and he glanced up to see Pitch glaring at him wearily.

"It's going to take forever to reach Japan at this pace", Pitch pointed out and Jack shrugged.

"We have time, don't we?" Jack stated, tilting his head. Pitch sighed and muttered something under his breath, before turning away. Jack frowned. Again with that grumpy appearance. Why was that? What had changed? First Jack had thought it had been because Pitch had been worried about him, what with him getting kidnapped by the spirit of fire and all. But when Pitch's mood didn't seem to be improving, Jack wasn't sure what to do about it. He couldn't even blame it on Loki, since he hadn't shown up in days. Finally Jack decided he'd really have to do something about it and took a deep breath. Interrogating Pitch was never fun.

Interrogating grumpy Pitch was even worse.

"So… What's up with you?" Jack asked and immediately felt like slapping himself. Smooth, Jack, very smooth. Pitch seemed to think so too, as he shot a slightly amused, but mostly annoyed, glare at him.

"Nothing is 'up with me', Frost", Pitch stated and Jack snorted.

"Yeah right. Alright mister grumpy pants, since there is nothing wrong with you, I think we could take a detour by the North Po-" Jack was cut off by a hasty disapproving, slightly whining, sound made by Pitch and for a few seconds Jack could just stare. Pitch did not make noises like that. Pitch did not do "hasty" or "whiny". He always thought his words though and calculated his actions at least twice before executing them. Something really was wrong with him and it seemed Jack had been right with his wild guess that Pitch was in a hurry. But in hurry to where? Why? What was going on?

"Pitch…" Jack started but trailed off, not sure how to begin. Pitch was usually the one doing all the encouraging and making sure Jack was fine. Jack just… made sure he was always there to pull Pitch from his shadows once in a while. And it had been enough. It had always been enough. But suddenly it wasn't. Before Jack could make up the words he knew he needed to make Pitch speak up, Pitch already sighed, _again_, and said: "Jack, really, I'm fine. I will be fine. As long as…" And he trailed off, his voice sounding tired and guarded at the same time.

"As long as?" Jack tried, but Pitch remained silent and they continued on their way, Jack freezing the ground and gently pushing aside the memories that threatened to take over his conscious mind. He would have to give in soon.

"You noticed it with Asbit and… Mother Nature, did you not? They were… How to say it… Unstable?" Jack almost jumped when Pitch spoke up again, but nodded anyway, eager to hear what was going on in his father-figure's mind, though their relationship probably wasn't exactly how one would view a father-son relationship… At least not in the traditional sense. Jack shook the ponderings from his mind, trying to focus on Pitch's words. A salty wind pushed past them and the waves hit against Jack's ice noisily.

"Loki thinks he knows what is causing it, but a fact is that, whatever it _actually_ is, it's affecting everyone. Shaking spirits and the stability of their minds, starting with those who are already on uneven ground. Resurfacing old feelings, guilt, anger, bitterness…", Pitch told him and for a moment Jack wondered if he should pretend like he understood what Pitch was talking about. In the end he just decided not to, he wasn't a very good liar, and looked at Pitch blankly. Jack could just tell Pitch's nonexistent eyebrow was twitching.

"Insanity, Jack. I'm talking about insanity spreading like a wildfire among the spirits", Pitch told him, "Loki noticed it first of course, but… I can feel it too, lurking in the edges of my mind. You've been affected too." Jack blinked owlishly. Really? He didn't feel any different. Maybe he had always been insane…

"You've been freaking out a lot more than you used to, when Jokul or his legacy are involved. Fortunately, you were able to overcome it, somewhat at least, but…" Pitch paused for a bit, suddenly looking like a heavy weight had been laid on his shoulders, "Not all of us can just push through it like you did. For some of us, the darkness and the madness it brings with it is always ghosting in our minds, waiting." Jack felt like something got stuck in his throat and he looked worriedly at Pitch, wondering, fearing. He had thought he had gotten over this, worrying if Pitch would leave him alone again, but there it was again. Maybe it would always be there. Jack hated it, hated himself for not trusting Pitch enough, for letting the shadows of doubt ghost in his mind. So he did what he usually did. He crushed them under his feet and forced himself back in the present.

"And being tied like this…" fury flashed in Pitch's voice, burning hot as he referred to the bind between them, the one keeping Pitch from wandering too far, made by the Moon. "Well, it certainly isn't helping. But… At least it keeps me close. As long as you keep reminding me why I am here, I'll be fine."

And just like that the bits of doubt vanished and Jack dared to breathe again.

They didn't speak for a long time after that. Pitch having already said what he needed to, and more, and Jack not finding the words he could use to ease Pitch's burden. And it was scary, because he always had the words, he knew what to say when his sister was afraid, what to do to ease other's anger and how to rile them up. He knew how to apologize and how to forgive, but now… This time, he had nothing.

And it scared him.

**-O-**

Jack had been once again scanning through Jokul's memories when Pitch spoke an hour or so later.

"The sun will be rising in an hour. You think it would be a good idea to reach the land before that happens?" Pitch asked him and Jack blinked away the remnants of the Winter Palace from his mind. Tilting his head he made a quick estimate of time with his internal clock and had to admit that Pitch was right. It was the high time he started flying again.

With a shrug, Jack ceased his freezing, wondering how was it possible he didn't feel strained at all after spending hours freezing the ocean, but shrugged it off as a side effect for finally letting some of Jokul's being in. He took a couple of more steps before asking the Wind to pick him and lifted his feet to step on the stream of air…

Just to stumble with a yelp as nothing caught his feet. His stomach lurched uncomfortably as he faced the black, black waves, waving his arms in order to catch his balance…

Someone pulled on his hood and he stumbled backwards and hit against something rough. He glanced behind him to see Pitch's Nightmare behind him with frowning Pitch sitting on its back. The Nightmare snorted and pushed him gently as if to reprimand him for being careless. Jack grinned back sheepishly.

He then turned around again, his grind vanishing from his lips. He called for the Wind again and it ruffled his hair, whispering in confusion. Jack decided to try again and feeling the Wind brush by him again, he tried catching it. For a second, he thought he was flying, the Wind pushing him upwards, but then it was gone as suddenly as it had appeared and with a yell, Jack's feet hit the ice, but the sudden drop made him lose his balance and again he was falling towards the broken edges of his floating piece of ice. Quickly he made to freeze the water properly, but he knew he would be too late.

This time it was long fingers curling around his upper arm and yanking him upwards. Blinking, Jack found himself sitting in front of Pitch on the Nightmare's back. He let a shaky breath escape his lips.

"What was that, Frost?" Pitch inquired as soon as Jack's shoulders relaxed.

"I… I'm not sure. I just couldn't… Like the Wind couldn't carry me even though it's right _there_", Jack told him, his mind still running overtime because of the scare. He glanced over his shoulder to see Pitch frown. But then they both caught the sight of the lightening horizon and Pitch spurred the Nightmare forward.

The speed and the wind prevented them from talking more, but it didn't stop Jack from wondering just why had the Wind suddenly ceased to be able to carry him. What had changed?

**-O-**

By the time Jack could spot the familiar outline of the mountains and the valley, he was harboring a major headache. He had tried to inquire the Wind about what had happened, but the Wind wouldn't answer, at least, not the way he could understand. Instead it kept whispering worried statements about everything and nothing. Most of all, it kept repeating "find me" or "hurry", making Jack want to dash off to find her immediately despite not knowing where to go.

Thus, he could be found rubbing his forehead as Pitch's Nightmare begun it's descend. Jack wondered if this one had been one of the few he had herded here when he had been looking for them across the world… Probably, since it seemed to know exactly where they were headed to.

When the first rays of sunlight washed away Jack's vision, the Nightmare's hooves hit the ground and it dashed towards the pathway running between the mountains. Once in the safety of shadows, it slowed to a trot and snorted contently.

Jack could feel Pitch relax behind him as well. Deeming it safe to get off the horse, Jack pushed against Pitch to swing his leg over the Nightmare's neck. Pitch grunted, but didn't comment on his show of agility, deeming it enough to just glare at him wearily. Jack grinned in return, despite not seeing the glare, and jogged to keep up with the Nightmare, before running ahead when he saw the end of the dark pathway coming up.

By then something was nagging in the back of his mind, something he had done last time he was there, but the harder he tried to remember the further away it slipped. So Jack simply shrugged it off and dashed towards the shrine. In his haste he hit his shoulder against what he assumed was the _torii_ gate and decided he should wait for Pitch to catch up. Which he did, muttering something intangible under his breath, though Jack thought he did hear the words "sun" and "hyperactive winter spirits".

Pitch brushed past him and Jack followed the sound of his footsteps meekly. Once they reached the entrance, Jack took the lead again, sliding the door open and slipping inside.

"Hello! Anyone here? Tengu?" he called out as he walked down the empty hallways. He heard Pitch trailing behind him, close to the walls. Probably trying to blend into the shadows, Jack thought to himself, but didn't dwell on it. He had more urgent things to do. No one had answered his calls and somehow, Jack noticed as they wandered further, the place felt colder. It didn't seem as inviting and safe as it had two years ago. Had the tengu left the place? Jack wondered, it seemed a bizarre thought to him, as the winged spirit's center was supposed to be "home". Why would he leave his?

Then Jack felt like hitting himself. How could he have forgotten? The place had been abandoned for decades and the tengu had been trapped there, hadn't he? But Jack had opened the pathway through the mountains in hopes of someone discovering this place so the tengu could leave… Jack sighed. So they had made the trip in vain? Still, just to make sure, he asked Pitch to find a room with empty shelves on it.

Few minutes later Jack walked into the room he had only spared a glance during his last visit. This time he didn't have moonlight showing him the way, so he slid his fingers along the shelves to find what he was looking for. His fingers lingered on the few worn statuettes, but soon moved on when he realized they weren't what he was looking for. Then his fingers brushed over a shelf that didn't seem quite as worn and hope peaked in him until his fingers ran over the surface. Nothing. The statuette was gone, which meant the Tengu really had been freed. Jack backed out from the room, before stopping to lean on the wall and sliding down to sit on the floor. He heard Pitch approach him and settle down beside him. For a long time, they sat there in silence.

-O-

"So, what next?" Pitch asked and Jack jolted. He blinked a few times, before he could register the words. He hesitated.

"I guess… We could go look for Aurora and ask if Jokul ever told her about Aura…" Jack suggested weakly, knowing it wouldn't lead them anywhere.

"You don't seem to think of it as likely", Pitch noted dryly. Jack sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"It's just… Something Jokul said before he…" Jack tried not to think about that moment, remembering how the old man had closed his eyes, relaxed and never taken another breath. Remembering the moment he had _died. _And it was Jack's doing,_ he had killed-_

But he hadn't. Not really. Jokul was still inside him, his memories, his powers. Just… Not his consciousness. _But would it appear too? _Once Jack had dug deep enough into his memories and-No. Loki told him he wouldn't be affected, changed, by Jokul's emotions. They were just memories, not even his own.

But didn't that mean he _had _indeed killed- _Shut up_, Jack told himself, but he could remember Aurora's tears glimmering in the moonlight, her wavering voice… _Don't think about it_.

Jack had never had had trouble with pushing aside thoughts he didn't feel like dwelling in, but this guilt was sticking to him like glue, no matter how many times he tried ripping it off. _Why _was he thinking about it in the first place? It hadn't bothered him for a year, so why…

Pitch shifted slightly beside him, and Jack realized he'd taken a moment too long to continue his statement. He coughed awkwardly into his fist. _Just keep moving forward_, he told himself, _don't stop_.

"He said he couldn't find _her_ and I really think he meant the Wind, Aura. But that shouldn't be possible, right? Since he made a deal with her…" Jack had seen the hazy image, felt the vague feeling of accomplishment and affection and he knew Jokul had been with Aura in that brief memory and they had formed a contract of sorts. Jack knew, but he couldn't remember. Jokul couldn't remember. Why was that? What had made him forget?

"I think… He did something to forget it", Jack finished and Pitch nodded slowly beside him, though Jack couldn't see it.

"Alright. So basically you are saying that the only spirit in this world who knows where the Wind spirit is made himself forget it as soon as he discovered it?" Pitch questioned. Jack smiled sheepishly and nodded. Pitch let out a long suffering sigh.

"What are we doing Jack? Why are we chasing ghosts?" Pitch asked him and Jack tilted his head curiously.

"She asked me to, remember? Besides, I've barely been able to feel the Wind once we reached Japan. I can hear her, but… She really can't carry me anymore", Jack told him.

"Do you need to be able to fly?" Pitch asked and something in his voice made Jack tense. _Dumbass,_ Jack told himself, _it' just Pitch_. Jack didn't have time to respond before he felt Pitch's long fingers wrapping around his wrist. He blinked in surprise.

"We can travel through the shadows, can't we? And we do have my Nightmares", Pitch said, his voice soft. Jack frowned. His shoulders dropping a bit.

"But they're _yours _Pitch. Not mine, I can't… With the Wind I can be _free_", Jack said and it was as if he had turned a switch. Pitch flinched, his hand leaving Jack's wrist and he groaned. Worriedly, Jack scooted closer, but Pitch quickly got on his feet and retreated.

"I'll be back by the sundown", Pitch stated and before Jack could protest, he could feel the air shift and Pitch was gone. Jack stared with unseeing eyes to where he had last heard Pitch's voice.

Had he said something wrong? But Pitch knew how much flying meant to him, why would he even suggest Jack to give it up? And hadn't they already gone through the whole shadow thing? Hadn't they already decided not to hide from the world? Shivers ran down Jack's spine and his instincts were practically screaming at him, but he pushed it aside, climbing on his feet. He might as well get something done today, if he was going to be stuck here.

**-O-**

…well. He had certainly gotten "something" done, Jack noted to himself as he gazed inside the shrine at the hallways covered by solid ice and frost. It hadn't been his intention, mind you! He had been going through Jokul's memories, but then Pitch Nightmare had stomped in and started drooling in his hair. How it had ended up with Jack skating through the hallways and rooms chasing the stupid sand horse, Jack honestly had no clue. But yeah, that happened. Now Jack was sitting on top of the _torii _gate, waiting for Pitch to appear. The moon had just come up, making it possible for Jack to use the trees growing by the gate to climb on top of it. Having to go through that much trouble just to get on top of three meter high gateway made him miss the Wind even more.

He still had no idea where to search from next, though. He figured he should find out how Jokul had made himself to forget in order to find a new lead, but he still wasn't sure if he dared to wander that far into Jokul's memories. Even the ghosts of emotions he had experienced this far had been close to overwhelming. But flying sure would be nice…

Then there was the thing that reminded Jack of _responsibilities_. Jack did his best to dismiss it, but when it concerned people important to him, he found it considerably harder to do. According to Pitch, Loki was out there looking for the source of this… thing… that seemed to be bothering the spirits all over. Jack wasn't sure if it was something serious, but if Loki had gone looking for it, shouldn't Jack help? Loki had done much for him, yet Jack had done so little in return other than complain.

What was it all about anyway? Insanity spreading among spirits… How was that even possible? Pitch told him it tugged on the old, buried emotions. Guilt, anger and all that. Jack's eyes widened in realization. Pitch had told him he had been affected too hadn't he? Jack had been scared of going through Jokul's memories, and still was, in fear of losing himself. To him it seemed logical, but for Loki and Pitch, it may have seemed like an irrational fear. Was that what Pitch meant? But if it was affecting Pitch too, what would it use as a fuel? Pitch carried lot of anger and bitter feelings with him, but where did they originate from? _Loneliness_, Jack realized. Sure, there were other things fueling the anger, but what Pitch had been trying to do while they were still inside the shrine… He had been trying to get Jack dependent of him and without his Wind, Jack really would be. Jack was also a Guardian, though. Taking him away would leave them more vulnerable.

However it was, Pitch seemed to have snapped out of it, judging from his hasty retreat. They would have to talk about it, Jack decided then. When Pitch came back, they would go look for Loki and help him find out whatever was causing this. The Wind could wait for a while longer. Jack would request one of Pitch's Nightmares to carry him. Or he could just go look for Bunny and get him open a bunch of tunnels. Having set his mind, Jack straightened on top of the gate and looked around, wondering what was taking the older spirit so long.

**-O-**

His eyes landed on a dark figure approaching from the pathway through the mountains. Grinning, Jack slid off the gate, momentarily forgetting the Wind wouldn't catch him. With a yelp, he managed to swing his staff and hook it around the top of the _torii _gate. He hung from the staff for a few moments, evening his breathing, before glancing down. Well, it wasn't _that _long of a fall… He probably wouldn't break anything, taking into account that he was a spirit. Closing his eyes, he jerked on his staff and a second later he was falling…

His feet slipped from under him on the slippery surface the hardened snow formed and Jack fell on his back with another yelp. When he opened his eyes again he was met with a pair of golden eyes staring at him amusedly. Jack had to blink a couple of times to realize that yes, he did indeed see that Pitch's eyes were golden and when he glanced down, his hoodie had a blue tint to it and his trousers brown. With a grin, Jack jumped to his feet. He had had a few times after receiving Jokul's memories when his vision had half returned like this, but they seemed to come and go at random so he couldn't pinpoint the exact reason of why it happened.

"Pitch! I know what we should do next", Jack exclaimed from his spot on the ground, shaking away the amazement that always came when he spotted colors. Pitch looked down on him, waiting, and Jack grinned. He offered his hand to Pitch, signaling for him to help him up. With a blank look, Pitch complied, moving his arm from behind his back…

Neither of them had been expecting what happened next. Time seemed to pass in slow motion for Jack, though the whole ordeal only took a few seconds.

As soon as Pitch began to reach for Jack's hand, a shout sounded from somewhere nearby.

"There! Twined between their hands!"

Turning his head slightly, Jack located the one who had shouted and barely had enough time to recognize the hawk headed figure with glowing silver eye as Horus, before something bright, brighter than anything he had ever seen with his own eyes, cut into his silvery vision. Someone dashed from beside Horus from behind the pile of sand and rock. Someone holding a blade that to Jack looked as if it was a sun forged into a flaming blade. For a moment Jack was blinded by its light, but then his vision did a full switch and instead of light, the blade was made of darkness and it cast its shadows all over the garden and clearing they were in. Pitch's hand had stopped only a little from Jack's, Jack had noted before the darkness robbed him of his eyes.

But Jack didn't need to see what happened. He heard the steps running closer, it only took five leaps, but it was an eternity for Jack. And even though it was an eternity, he just sat there, too surprised and confused to move.

And then it was already too late.

The blade of flames came down. Jack could feel its burning heat melting the snow and warming his cold skin. Something he hadn't noticed before, but at the same time, felt like it had always been there, wrapped around his wrist, shattered. Then he screamed.

**A/N**

Ahahahaha ha, ha... Don't kill me! I'm so sorry, but each story needs to have at least one cliffhanger, right? ...and you'll probably won't be ecstatic to hear that it may just take me another month to update the next chapter... (I even had to squeeze this between my studies) I have huge and very important exams coming up and I should start making those pre-tasks or whatever for the university I want to apply to.

Not to mention that I won't have a place to live in in about a month or so since we sold our house and I still haven't managed to find an apartment that I could afford... Gawd, I just keep messing things up =_= Uhm, in other words, I'm not doing so well and I'm very stressed and tired and depressed, but I'm _trying _and I know I'll get over it soon enough. Just... Understand that this fic is not currently one of my top priorities though it is important to me as well, okay? Okay. *exhale*

Soooo, I realized I forgot to include the explanation on Thanato's timeline and stuff in the last chapter ^_^' I'm so sorry. Here you go:

**Tengu **You might want to go back to scan though chapter titled _Home _in Silver Light from Blind Eyes. If you can't: An OC based on Eastern (or Japanese?) mythology. Spirit of home.**  
>Thanatos <strong>So, since he was born before Time, (because in my head Time=Father Time and before anything that could be count as a living being was born, there would have have been death, as in Thanatos) time has no meaning to him. Instead of living each day or even an hour chronologically like everyone else does, he could have been at year 3 and the next moment at year 2015 and then back in the time of dinosaurs. ...or something like that. So I made a little timeline that can either confuse you even more, or actually help you understand it a bit better. (some info was just for me when I planned this story, some will come up again later in the story)

**1.** The first time Thanatos meets Jack happened in the last chapter. Before that he's never met Jokul either, it's his first encounter with any winter spirit (read: young Thanatos). This could, in fact, be the reason he ever decided to get involved with Jokul in the first place.  
><strong>2. <strong>Since meeting Jack, he wanted to make sure that the next time they met, he could answer his question and went to reap him (when he was still a human) and thus found out about his sister and went to reap her.  
><strong>3. <strong>Thanatos reaps Jokul and finally learns of their (to be) friendship. He then goes back and forth in time in order to get to know Jokul and in between he meets Jack and finally tells him of his sister. (This could count as a spoiler, but oh well.)  
><strong>4. <strong>The scene from Silver Light for Blind Eyes, where Jack first meets Thanatos. So Thanatos already knows he has fulfilled his promise as Jack did his.  
><strong>5. <strong>Only then Thanatos reaped Khione (scene from SLfBE, Jokul's memory) after which he decides he's had enough though he still does consider Jokul as a friend and goes back again and meets Jokul for the last time (the scene where Jokul met Thanatos). So in a way it was Thanatos' way of saying goodbye.

...I wish I could just write the whole Thanatos' story (believe me I have all of it planned out because gawd I like him), but this will have to do. Confusing? Spot any timeline mistakes from my part? Ask away, though I'll probably answer by PM so the next A/Ns won't become this long. (And yes, I realize that including such confusing and complicated character and background might not have been my brightest ideas, but, well, too late now.)

**Reviews **(which are awesome btw)  
><em>MugetsuPipefox <em>Thank you~ Here, have another update. And glad you like the spirit's involvement. I decided it would be best to mostly stick with the ones I've already introduced so there won't (hopefully) be too many random OCs popping up and confusing people. ^_^' (trying to learn from my mistakes here :'D)

_jayleaf1 _I hope my explanation clarified it even if just a little bit? ^_^' And sorry to disappoint, I'm trying not to involve too many gods from same mythologies, so no Hestia, unfortunately. And the books were originally written for children I think? (but when has that ever stopped anyone from enjoying a book) But yes, there are books about North, Tooth and Pitch I think...? (haven't read them or properly researched them, sorry. :)

_chibissama _I hope my explanation made some sense? (I'm not perfect though, so there may be some mistakes, but that's how I had planned it at least.) Sorry for being confusing. ^_^'

Next: We'll see a bit of Loki~ Among other things.


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